Method and apparatus for land and aquatic exercise

ABSTRACT

An aquatic exercise tool for use with a user&#39;s body part includes a strip of elastomeric material with an engagement area spaced from and proximate one end. The engagement area defines an opening with a rest perimeter, and the engagement area has an elasticity sufficient to stretch the opening from the rest perimeter to a larger perimeter sufficient to receive the body part when it is inserted with a minimum predetermined force. When the opening is stretched above the rest perimeter, the engagement area exerts a tightening force into the opening to tighten against the body part. A method includes inserting the body part into the opening, fixing the other end of the strip to an anchor, and stretching the strip with the body part away from the anchor while the user is at least partially submerged in water.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Aquatic exercise, such as swimming and water aerobics, is well known for providing excellent resistance to normal movements due to the increased viscosity of water over air. Exercise in water is also less damaging to joints than is exercise on land. This is because normal human buoyancy creates a relative weightlessness in water, reducing both the effect of gravity and the shock absorbed by the body when pushing against the ground.

Despite all of the benefits of aquatic exercise, however, traditional fitness equipment is generally unsuitable in water-based settings. Well-known tools like resistance bands, for example, that provide resistance for various muscles when pulled in opposite directions, can easily slip from the hand or foot when underwater, rendering them unusable. Even when handles are attached to the resistance bands, they may result in the junction between the bands and the handles slipping relative to each other or the handles slipping from the hands when in water.

Although aquatic exercise raises these particular problems due to slippery conditions and drag presented by water, common resistance bands on land may also slip off the hand or foot. Therefore, an exercise apparatus and method for use under or over water that resists slippage is needed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Various embodiments of an exercise apparatus for use with a body part include a substantially planar strip of elastomeric material with a first end, a second end opposite the first end, and an engagement area spaced from and proximate to the first end. The engagement area defines an opening through the substantially planar strip, the opening having a rest perimeter, the engagement area having an elasticity sufficient to stretch the opening from the rest perimeter to at least a larger, body part perimeter when receiving said body part through the opening with a minimum predetermined force, and wherein when the opening is stretched above the rest perimeter, the engagement area exerts a tightening force into the opening.

In one embodiment, the body part is an anchoring body part fixed to an adjacent body part that has a smaller cross-sectional perimeter than the anchoring body part, such as a hand and wrist or a foot and ankle. The body part perimeter is sized to receive the entire anchoring body part therethrough such that the opening receives the adjacent body part.

In other embodiments, the body part perimeter is substantially the same as a perimeter of a human hand or human foot. It can also be substantially the same a maximum cross-sectional perimeter of a human hand, a perimeter of a human foot, so that the hand or foot can be received entirely through the opening until the adjacent body part, such as a wrist or ankle, is received in the opening.

In one embodiment, the elastomeric material has a substantially elongate shape. In others, the engagement area is located at least 125 mm from the first end. The engagement area may include an edge along the opening that is substantially smooth, or substantially free of jagged or frayed edges.

In another embodiment, the apparatus is also used with a second body part. In this embodiment, a second engagement opening is included proximate to and spaced from the second end, which has a second elasticity sufficient to stretch the second opening from a second rest perimeter to at least a larger, second body part perimeter when receiving the second body part through the second opening with a second minimum predetermined force. When the second opening is stretched above the second rest perimeter, the second engagement area exerts a second tightening force into the second opening. The first and second body part perimeters may correspond to, for example, perimeters of a hand and a second hand, a hand and a foot, a foot and a second foot, etc.

In one embodiment, the elastomeric material is water resistant. In another embodiment, the tightening force is sufficient to prevent movement of said body part out of the opening with less than the predetermined minimum force.

One embodiment of a method of aquatic exercising by a user with a body part includes providing the above apparatus and an anchor, inserting the body part into the opening with at least the minimum predetermined force, fixing the second end of the elastomeric material to the anchor, submerging the user at least partially in water; and stretching the strip of elastomeric material by moving the body part away from the anchor while the user is at least partially submerged. The anchor can be, for example, a heavy object or a second body part of the user.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plan view of one embodiment of an aquatic exercise apparatus according to the invention.

FIG. 2A is a detail cutout view of an alternate embodiment of the opening shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 2B is a detail cutout view of the opening shown in FIG. 2A.

FIG. 3A is a side perspective view of a user inserting a hand into the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3B is a plan cutout view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 3A.

FIG. 4 is a side perspective view of a user with a hand and a foot inserted entirely through the openings shown in FIGS. 1, 3A and 3B.

FIG. 5 is a process flow diagram according to another embodiment of a method according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows a plan view of one embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention. As shown in FIG. 1, a substantially planar strip of elastomeric material 100 has a first end 102, a second end 104, and engagement areas 106, 109 defining openings 108, 110. In this embodiment, the strip 100 is formed of an elastomeric, water resistant material and has a substantially elongate shape of approximately 1.1 m long by 15 cm wide. One having ordinary skill in the art will understand, however, that many different shapes and sizes of the strip remain within the scope of the invention and are selected based on the particular exercise desired. The elastomeric material used in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is a 0.3 mm-0.4 mm thick thermoplastic polymer, but any form of natural or synthetic rubbers, such as Latex, can be used, depending on the elasticity and strength of the material desired for the particular application.

The openings 108, 110 are each located proximate to and spaced from respective ends 102 and 104. In this embodiment, the openings 108, 110 are spaced from each end by a=180 mm and the midpoints of the openings 108, 110 are approximately 750 mm apart. Although one having ordinary skill in the art will understand that different spacings remain within the scope of the invention, it is preferred that the openings be spaced between approximately 600 mm and 800 mm from each other and at least a=125 mm from the closest end to provide sufficient strength of the elastomeric material 100 to withstand typical stretching forces experienced during the exercise.

Preferably, the openings 108, 110 are laser cut out of the engagement areas 106, 109 during manufacturing and lack frayed or jagged edges that could weaken or tear the material when stretched. The openings 108, 110 may also be stamped out of the material, such that the edges are substantially clean. The invention is not limited, however, to these two methods of creating the openings 108, 110.

The opening 108 in this embodiment has a “rest perimeter” (or “P(rest)”) selected to be smaller than a cross-sectional perimeter of a body part (i.e. a “body part perimeter” or “P(body part)”) to be inserted into the opening. In this case the body part perimeter is a cross-sectional perimeter of a human hand (not shown). As used in this application, “rest perimeter” is defined as the largest perimeter of the opening that does not stretch the surrounding engagement area. For the circular opening 108 shown in FIG. 1, for example, the rest perimeter would be equal to the circumference of the circular opening. The circular opening 108 has a diameter of d=40 mm, so the rest perimeter is approximately P(rest)=C=d×π=126 mm.

Although circular openings 108 are shown in FIG. 1, the openings may be designed in many different shapes. In that case, the rest perimeter would not be equal to C=d×π. For, example, in the plus-shaped opening 208 in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the rest perimeter would be approximately equal to the perimeter of a square opening 216 defined when the points 214 of the plus-shaped opening 208 fold backward before stretching occurs. For a square 216 with a side 218 approximately equal to 25 mm, therefore, the P(rest)=4×side=100 mm.

Preferably, the rest perimeter is selected to be smaller than an anchoring body part, such as a hand or a foot. For purposes of this application, an “anchoring body part” is defined as a body part having a larger cross-sectional perimeter than an adjacent, connected body part. For example, a cross-sectional perimeter of a human hand is larger than a cross-sectional perimeter of the adjacent wrist. Likewise, a cross-sectional perimeter of a human foot is larger than a cross-sectional perimeter of an adjacent ankle, so the human hand or foot would be considered an “anchoring body part”.

FIGS. 3A and 3B depict a side perspective view and a plan view of the strip of elastomeric material 100 in use by a user 300. A user 300 inserts her hand 302 into the opening 108 defined by the engagement area 106 in the direction shown by the arrow. The hand 302 is inserted with a force sufficient to stretch the opening 108 from a rest perimeter P(rest) to a perimeter equal to a perimeter of the hand 302, or P(body part). When stretched to the perimeter equal to the perimeter of the hand 302, the engagement area 106 exerts a tightening force around the hand 302 sufficient to hold the engagement area 106 in place relative to the hand 302. The tightening force is preferably smaller than a force that would cut off circulation in the hand or otherwise render the apparatus uncomfortably tight to use.

The force required to expand the perimeter is referred to as the predetermined minimum force for purposes of this application. Those having ordinary skill in the art will understand that the predetermined minimum force will depend on the specific body part perimeter, the rest perimeter, and the elasticity of the elastomeric material. However, it is preferred that the elastomeric material and rest perimeter be selected such that the predetermined minimum force is great enough to resist a drag force in a direction opposite to the arrow that is likely to be experienced while exercising underwater, but within the range of force easily exerted intentionally by the user 300. The force required to remove the hand 302 from the opening 108 may also be slightly higher than the predetermined minimum force required to insert the hand 302 into the opening, as the engagement area 106 may warp when stretched in the direction of the arrow, as shown in FIG. 3A.

In this embodiment, the body part inserted into the opening 108 is a hand 302, but it is also within the scope of the invention for various other body parts to be insertable into the opening 108 or into a different sized opening 110 near the second end 104 of the strip 100. In the latter embodiment, the rest perimeter of the opening 110 in the engagement area 109 is preferably smaller than the perimeter of the other body part P(rest)<P(body part) and has an elasticity allowing the opening 110 to expand to the perimeter of the other body part P(body part). Although opening 110 is described as having a different rest perimeter as opening 108, it is also within the scope of the invention for the openings to have the same rest perimeters.

FIG. 4 shows a side perspective view of the embodiment of the elastomeric strip 100 of FIG. 1 in use. A user 300 is partially submerged in water 400. Her hand 302, acting as an anchor body part, extends entirely through the opening 108 until the opening 108 surrounds the user's wrist 304. The perimeter of the user's wrist 304 is smaller than the perimeter of the user's hand 302, and is shown to be larger than the rest perimeter of the opening 108 due to the warping of the engagement area 106. The engagement area 106 is therefore exerting a tightening force onto the wrist 304. Preferably, the tightening force on around the wrist 304 is below a force that would cut off or reduce circulation in the wrist, or otherwise be uncomfortable to the user. In one embodiment, the P(rest)=40 mm diameter, and the engagement area 106 having an approximately 20 mm wide annulus around the hole stretches an average of about 50% (up to 100% at the edge of the hole 108) around a typical wrist circumference of P(body part)=250 m. This exerts a circumferential force of approximately 0.5 kg distributed over the circumference of the wrist, resulting in a tightening force of approximately 2 kg/m. It is also within the scope of the invention for the rest perimeter to be larger than a perimeter of the wrist 304, thereby exerting no force around the wrist.

The other end 104 of the strip 100 includes opening 110 defined by engagement area 109. The user's foot 306, which has the maximum cross-sectional body part perimeter P(body part), has been inserted into the opening 110 with at least a second predetermined minimum force, and is shown fully inserted through the opening 110. Under its own tightening elastic force, the opening 110 has tightened from the P(body part) down to the rest perimeter P(rest). P(rest) is larger than a cross-sectional perimeter of the ankle 308. Although the opening 110 is not shown as exerting a tightening force around the ankle in FIG. 4, a force at least as great as the second predetermined minimum force would be required to pull the foot 306 back through the opening 110. The strip is therefore safely engaged to the user 300. Although the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 depicts the rest perimeter of opening 110 as larger than a cross-sectional perimeter of the ankle 308, it is also within the scope of the invention for the rest perimeter to be smaller than this cross-sectional perimeter, as discussed above in relation to the user's wrist 304.

In use, the user 300 moves her wrist 304 away from her ankle 308, as shown by the arrow. This action serves to stretch the elastomeric strip 100 and provide additional resistance to the muscles used in the user's fitness routine. Although FIG. 4 depicts the strip 100 being anchored by a user's wrist and ankle, it is also within the scope of the invention for the strip 100 to be anchored by a combination of any number of anchoring or non-anchoring body parts, including, for example, the user's two wrists, a hand and a torso, a knee and a finger, a neck and a toe, etc., according to resistance that the user would like to achieve. Rest perimeters of the respective openings may therefore be designed according to the body part intended to be inserted. It is also within the scope of the invention for the strip 100 to be anchored by a body part and a heavy object, such as another person, a wall, a floor, etc., which is attached to the second end of the strip 100. In the latter case, opening 110 may be omitted in favor of another means of connecting the second end of the strip 100 to the heavy object. Although the forgoing is described in terms of underwater use, one skilled in the art will understand that above-water use is also within the scope of the invention.

One embodiment of a method according to the invention is shown as a process flow diagram in FIG. 5. A method 500 of aquatic exercising by a user includes providing a strip 501 as shown in FIG. 1, providing an anchor 502, inserting a body part into the opening with at least the minimum predetermined force 503, fixing the second end of the strip to the anchor 506, submerging the user at least partially in water 504, and stretching the strip 505 by moving the body part away from the anchor while the user is at least partially submerged. The anchor may be a heavy object 507 or a second body part of the user. If the former, the second opening 110 need not be included in the strip 100. If the latter, fixing the second end of the elastomeric material to the anchor is achieved by inserting the second body part into the second opening 508.

The embodiments of the invention described herein are illustrative, rather than restrictive. Modification may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the following claims and their equivalents. 

1. An exercise apparatus for use with a body part, the apparatus comprising: a substantially planar strip of elastomeric material having a first end, a second end opposite the first end, and an engagement area spaced from and proximate to the first end, wherein the engagement area defines an opening through the substantially planar strip, the opening having a rest perimeter, the engagement area having an elasticity sufficient to stretch the opening from the rest perimeter to at least a larger, body part perimeter when receiving said body part through the opening with a minimum predetermined force, and wherein when the opening is stretched above the rest perimeter, the engagement area exerts a tightening force into the opening.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said body part is an anchoring body part fixed to an adjacent body part having a smaller cross-sectional perimeter than the anchoring body part, and wherein the body part perimeter is sized to receive the entire anchoring body part therethrough such that the opening receives the adjacent body part.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the body part perimeter is substantially the same as a perimeter of a human hand.
 4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the body part perimeter is substantially the same as a maximum cross-sectional perimeter of a human hand.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the body part perimeter is substantially the same as a perimeter of a human foot.
 6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the body part perimeter is substantially the same as a maximum cross-sectional perimeter of a human foot.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the elastomeric material has a substantially elongate shape.
 8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the engagement area is located at least 125 mm from the first end.
 9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the engagement area comprises an edge along the opening, wherein the edge is substantially smooth.
 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the engagement area defining the opening is substantially free of jagged or frayed edges.
 11. The apparatus of claim 1 further for use with a second body part, and wherein the engagement area is a first engagement area, the opening is a first opening, the tightening force is a first tightening force, the rest perimeter is a first rest perimeter, the body part perimeter is a first body part perimeter, the elasticity is a first elasticity, the minimum predetermined force is a first minimum predetermined force and the tightening force is a first tightening force, the apparatus further comprising: a second engagement area proximate to and spaced from the second end, wherein the second engagement area defines a second opening therein, the second opening having a second rest perimeter, the second engagement area having a second elasticity sufficient to stretch the second opening from the second rest perimeter to at least a larger, second body part perimeter when receiving said second body part through the second opening with a second minimum predetermined force, and wherein when the second opening is stretched above the second rest perimeter, the second engagement area exerts a second tightening force into the second opening.
 12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein a distance between center points of the first engagement area and the second engagement area is between approximately 600 mm and 800 mm.
 13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first body part perimeter is substantially the same as a perimeter of a human hand.
 14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the second body part perimeter is substantially the same as a perimeter of a human hand.
 15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the second body part perimeter is substantially the same as a perimeter of a human foot.
 16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the elastomeric material is water resistant.
 17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tightening force is sufficient to prevent movement of said body part out of the opening with less than the predetermined minimum force.
 18. A method of aquatic exercising by a user with a body part comprising: providing a substantially planar strip of elastomeric material having a first end, a second end opposite the first end, and an engagement area spaced from and proximate to the first end, wherein the engagement area defines an opening therein, the opening having a rest perimeter, the engagement area having an elasticity sufficient to stretch the opening from the rest perimeter to a larger, body part perimeter when receiving said body part through the opening with a minimum predetermined force, and wherein when the opening is stretched above the rest perimeter, the engagement area exerts a tightening force into the opening; providing an anchor; inserting the body part into the opening with at least the minimum predetermined force; fixing the second end of the elastomeric material to the anchor; submerging the user at least partially in water; and stretching the strip of elastomeric material by moving the body part away from the anchor while the user is at least partially submerged.
 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the anchor is a heavy object.
 20. The method of claim 18, wherein the anchor is a second body part of the user, and wherein the strip of elastomeric material further comprises a second engagement area spaced from and proximate to the second end, the second engagement area defining a second opening therein, and wherein the fixing the second end of the elastomeric material to the anchor comprises inserting the second body part into the second opening. 